With less than six months to go until Norway's general election,
increasing tensions over immigration and Islam appear likely to play a
significant role in the vote.

The leader of the country's main opposition party has warned that it
is facing "sneak-Islamisation", while some prominent Muslims say they
face growing "persecution".

The heated debate is a
sign that Norway, renowned as one of the most peaceful and tolerant
nations in the world, is facing the same issues with its Muslim
minority as are now familiar in other parts of Europe.

Siv
Jensen, the 39-year-old leader of the opposition Progress Party, has
objected to moves to introduce special measures in order to accommodate
Muslims' religious sensitivities, traditions and rules.

"The
reality is that a kind of sneak-Islamisation of this society is being
allowed," she recently told a Progress Party conference. "We are going
to have to stop this."

Opinion polls suggest the party could win as much as 30% of the vote
in the election for the national parliament, the Storting, in
September.

"If the Progress Party gets to govern
Norway, we will enforce Norwegian law and Norwegian rules. We are not
going to allow special demands from any single group in society," Ms
Jensen added.